Title: Factors influencing online purchase decisions of pharmaceutical products by baby boomers: mediating effect of consumer behaviour and attitude on trust development

Authors: Balakrishna Maddodi; Dasharathraj K. Shetty; Nisha S. Tatkar; Karthikeyan Parthasarathy; B. Shridutt; Suyash Kumar Prasad; S. Pavithra; Nithesh Naik; Delaram Mahdaviamiri; Vathsala Patil

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Department of Humanities and Management, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Department of Management, Guru Nanak Vidyak Society's Institute of Management, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India ' School of Management Studies, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Bharathiar School of Management and Entrepreneur Development, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India ' Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone's life, affecting the way of life, health, trade, and sales. The e-commerce industry has grown quickly by using innovative and creative ways to keep going during this time, aiding the people struggling to adjust. Due to the pandemic, the Indian government imposed stringent lockdowns across the country, and individuals were forced to shop online for their basic needs. The silent generation and the baby boomers have emerged as potential buyer segments during the pandemic. Several studies have indicated that trust is an essential factor that influences their buying behaviour. However, limited research has been done to identify the dimensions influencing consumer trust and test its antecedents empirically, specifically among the baby boomers and the silent generation population. The present study attempts to identify and empirically test the antecedents influencing the trust of baby boomers and the silent generation for buying medicines online. A systematic review was carried out to identify the antecedents influencing trust, which were then tested using SEM analysis. A total of 314 responses were collected and tested using SmartPLS software. The results of the study indicate that out of the six variables tested, only brand image, monetary and offline presence influence the trust of baby boomers and the silent generation for buying medicines online in India.

Keywords: e-commerce; consumer trust; baby boomers; silent generation; pharmaceuticals products.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2025.144077

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2025 Vol.48 No.1, pp.118 - 135

Received: 22 Feb 2021
Accepted: 15 Jun 2021
Published online: 24 Jan 2025 *

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